Balanced Solutions for Creating Compelling Content

Think of someone who is close to you. They have a distinct personality, a specific sense of humor and a way of looking at the world that is unique ONLY to them. These factors make up their ‘voice.’ This doesn’t mean they act the same way in all situations. They might change their voice depending on who they are with, which mood they are in, or simply because it is Monday. This change is considered the ‘tone.’

Ultimately, no matter what the tone of an article is, the voice should remain consistent and identifiable. A great content creator is able to identify these attributes within a genre and then be consistent with them.

These tools are essential to any effective web content strategy, so here’s a look at how to start using them:

Find Your Voice: In her book Empower Your Writing, Farnoosh Brock, a fabulous career coach I worked with in the past, created a list of 28 questions to find and begin to understand your natural voice. After I did her exercise, I came up with this summary of my writing voice:

My Writing Voice

I am precise and to the point. Being long-winded puts me, and most likely you, to sleep. I prefer to use short sentences that make sense. No small talk. Keep it straight so you, the readers, can relax. I like to make you think by using a mix of fact and emotion.

To keep the text diverse, I prefer bouncy, fragmented storytelling. Stick to the topic—what were we talking about again? Repeat often for emphasis. I want to question you and get you to question yourself.

“If I can make you laugh, you’ll make me happy.”

Are you being sarcastic? Because I often am. Balance both sides of the story. Why? To get close to you and because I have a thing for justice. We are equal, yet I can be motherly and guide when I need to.

I want to inform you so you can take action and have your own experience.

Sincerely,

Kim (the writer)

Adjust Your Tone

For me, tone relates to genre and medium. You can review the following points to maximize each new genre or information channel you encounter:

Gauge Your Audience: Which age group are you writing for? Male or female? Academics or a group of sports fanatics? Run through the demographics in your mind and create an ideal reader based on the data. In other words, create a picture in your mind of the ideal person who will be reading your piece. Keeping your copy open and friendly is a solid way to make people happy and increase your network.

The Medium: Every magazine, newspaper and journal has specific stylistic features they adhere to. They know their readership and speak to them directly. Some are formal, others not—but the medium you are using to present your work will pretty much dictate much of the content’s tone. If it is your own blog or website, you will want to determine your individual style, and if you use different tones in different categories, be sure these are clearly distinguishable.

Mood: What is the feeling you are trying to evoke? Decide which emotions you want your reader to feel when reading your work and choose your words carefully. Writing from a place of personal passion is the best way to please the crowd.

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Read more about fine-tuning the voice and tone of your copywriting